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 Photo by Heather Hill Peggy Branstrator (above left), IUE lecturer in biology, poses with senior Noriko Kuwahara behind one of the cherry trees Kuwahara is responsible for planting on the IU East campus. |
She's graduating in May and has a job offer to do public relations for a not-for-profit organization in New York. Just the same, Noriko Kuwahara is still planting trees.
Kuwahara, an IU East student from Tokyo, was featured in IU Home Pages two years ago ("Blossoming prospects," April 4 1997) for a unique service learning project in Peggy Branstrator's environment and life class . Kuwahara raised money to plant 50 blossoming Japanese cherry trees on campus. She chose that particular project because in Japan flowering cherry trees are associated with education and are often planted on school grounds.
Kuwahara's work has literally blossomed, nearly outgrowing the senior sociology student in the process. Since the trees were planted, Kuwahara has planned and hosted two Japanese culture day events on campus for elementary school students, and campus and community members. Participants have tasted Japanese food and have learned of various cultural activities such as origami, calligraphy and tea ceremonies.
In recognition of her efforts to increase the campus and community cultural understanding and goodwill, Kuwahara became the first recipient of IU East's Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural and Diversity Enhancement Award this past February. She has also been nominated for the President's Service Award.
Now, for Kuwahara's final "bough."
She and Branstrator recently ordered 40 more cherry trees. They will be planted on school grounds throughout Richmond and at the Richmond Senior Center. And as a gesture of appreciation, a tree also will go to Union High School in nearby Modoc, the school Kuwahara attended as a foreign exchange student.
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